Afraid of the Dark
by ggouge
Summary: An epic Star Wars Bounty Hunter adventure.
1. Chapter 1

Afraid of the Dark

Crale Moreland was running as if his life depended on it. He was running as if his life depended on it because it did. There was a bounty on his head and an angry Hutt waiting for him to be delivered…dead or alive. Crale motored through one of the seedy lower levels of Nar Shaddaa with reckless abandon. Through the trash and open sewers, past the downtrodden inhabitants, and away from whoever or whatever was chasing him. He rounded a corner at full speed and caught a matte black armored forearm plate right in the throat. Crale smacked the ground hard and lay flat on his back, sleeping like an infant. The figure in the all-matte black Mandalorian armor grabbed the bounty's collar and began dragging him back to his ship.

Tesla Meckley was waiting for them when they reached the spaceport. The Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft _Shadow I _was primed and ready for departure. It was all-matte black of course. The Togruta female, dressed in an all-black latex bodysuit with thigh high boots, lowered the ramp. Lirik Marr reached Docking Bay 4 with a handful of fugitive. He looked up and finally realized it was raining. The drops of water pinged off his armor, bubbled, and dripped to his boots. Lirik dragged the limp body up the ramp and into the cage room. He opened a cell and dumped Crale's body inside. After checking to make sure the cell was properly locked (he always checked twice) Lirik walked through the ship and climbed up the cockpit ladder and joined Tesla at _Shadow I's_ controls. Tesla ran her hand over her necklace. "Your late." Lirik glanced at his co-pilot and smiled inside his helmet. He started _Shadow I's_ liftoff sequence.

Once they reached Tatooine Tesla took care of the dirty work _after_ the dirty work. She escorted Moreland into Toosla the Hutt's palace. It wasn't much of a palace. It had been abandoned shortly after the death of Jabba the Hutt, which was just before the Battle of Endor. Toosla was hoping to move into Jabba's palace, but after her spies reported the infighting that was occuring between various parties over the abandoned domain she had decided on this dump instead. Toosla was nothing, if not lazy. She never welched on her bounties though, and both Tesla and Lirik appreciated that. Tesla handed Moreland over to Toosla's Gamorean guards. By the look on his face he had an idea what his fate would likely be. It's not often you cross a Hutt and live to tell about it. Tesla collected the reward, nodded at Toosla, and turned to head topside towards Lirik and _Shadow I_.

Lirik Marr never took part in the money transactions or any negotiations for that matter. Most of his clients had no idea who he was or what he looked like. His clients for the most part didn't care either because Lirik got the job done. Quietly, very quietly, he was becoming known as the most reliable bounty hunter this side of Boba Fett. Lirik stepped outside _Shadow I_, lifted his black boot onto a rock, and took his helmet off. He made sure he was out of Toosla's secuity camera's range. The warm breeze blew his long black hair and felt good on his bare skin. Lirik rubbed his hand on his beard and thought about his next move. "Where we headed?" Tesla said from behind him, a bag full of credits in hand. He put his helmet back on and stared at her through his infared display. "Mandalore".

Once _Shadow I_ entered hyperspace Lirik had plenty of time to think and/or sleep. He didn't want to do either one. Whenever he was alone he thought of his dead friends, his_ brothers_. Whenever he closed his eyes he drempt of blood. Lirik was human underneath all that armor however, and he needed rest. He checked on Tesla, who was dosing in the co-pilot's seat, then headed back to the spartan crew's quarters. _Shadow I_ was modified to have an extra large Kuat drive engine and power generators so there wasn't much left for luxuries. Lirik slowly relieved himself of the black armor that covered his body. He had never weighed the armor before but he felt noticableably lighter on his feet after it had been removed. Lirik sat down on the bed and realized it had been two days since he last slept. He had spent one day scouting out Crale Moreland and the other day avoiding what he was about to do right now. As soon as Lirik's head hit the pillow the nightmares began.

The dream always begins in the mess hall, where he and his company are when the rebels first strike. It was 1 year B.B.Y. and it was the start of The Battle of Kamino. Over 25 years ago. 25 years is a long time. In Lirik's mind it seems like yesterday. Some of his batchmates didn't even have a chance to put their forks down before there was a gaping hole in their chests. The Alliance to Restore the Republic had infiltrated the Imperial cloning facility and had taken Darth Vader's forces by surprise. Lirik grabbed his helmet and started running to the back of the cafeteria. He started to put it on and noticed red ooze on his hand. Looking back, Lirik saw his best friend Deril dead on the deck, a hole where his left ear used to be. Tears began to stream down his face but there was no time to mourn the dead, and the dead were everywhere. Lirik and a few lucky others ran and jumped over the dead bodies and spilled into the hallway making their way to the armory. They grabbed whatever weapons they could get their hands on. Lirik grabbed a rifle and some grenades. The clones made their last stand in the cloning facility itself. It was a firefight like he had never seen, or probably ever will. Lirik and his mates were fighting for their lives and they wouldn't go down without taking more than a few rebels with them. His last memories of the Battle of Kamino were piecemeal. He remembers clone after clone falling around him, body parts on the ground. Blood. Blood everywhere, and the screams. Then there was a flash. An explosion. Everything went dark. It sounded like everything was happening inside a tunnel. Then nothing. Now an arm was dragging him across the Flight Deck. Lirik looked up and saw a Mandalorian in green and grey pulling him along. Boba Fett. He faded to black. He woke up in _Slave I's_ Infirmary, tubes in his arm and up his nose. Lirik was alive but he wasn't sure if he wanted to be. The memories came flooding back to his mind, he screamed...


	2. Chapter 2

When Lirik woke up he was drenched in his own sweat and the horrible memories of combat. He climbed out of bed, stripped off his clothing and stepped into the sanisteam. Lirik didn't feel any better when he got out but at least he had cleaned off the layer of grime accumulated during the last planetary cycle. He looked into the mirror and didn't like what was staring back at him. Lirik decided it was time for a change.

He sat down in the pilot's chair with a buzzed head and a clean shaved face. Tesla did a double take from the co-pilot's seat. "Well hello handsome," she said. The right side of Lirik's mouth turned upward but he continued to stare straight ahead. "Buckle up Telsa, we're about to come out of hyperspace." The Togruta and the human watched through the viewport as the blue swirl of hyperspace turned to star lines and then finally into stars. Mandalore was large in front of them.

_Shadow I_ touched down on a landing pad in Keldabe, a stone's throw from the _Oyu'baat. _The_ Oyu'baat_ was a bar that was known to smugglers and bounty hunters throughout the galaxy. If you were looking for work or cargo (legal or illegal) the _Oyu'baat_ was where you went. After finishing the landing sequence and setting the security system, Tesla and Lirik headed to the _Oyu'baat_. Nobody looked twice when the man in the matte-black Mandalorian armor and his companion walked through the door. Actually, half the patrons in the _Oyu'baat _had some form of _beskar'gam_ armor on. _Beskar'gam_ armor was a way of life for Mandolorians. From it's use down to it's manufacturing. The _Oyu'baat_ was the only place Lirik ever took his helmet off in public and he did so now as he sat down at a corner table. Lirik's chair faced the entrance, his helmet and blaster on top the table, close to his right hand. Tesla sat down in front of Lirik and ordered the usual. An Alderrainian ale for him and a shot of Corellian rum for her. The bartender brought the drinks over. "On the house Lirik. Welcome back," he said. Lirik nodded, picked up the ale with his left hand and took a healthy slug. Smooth as always he thought.

Four Alderrainian Ale's and 2 Corellian rum shots later Tesla decided to ask Lirik about his past. She wouldn't normally do so but sometimes he liked to open up after he'd had a few drinks. "So Lirik, I know what happened at the Battle of Kamino. What happened next?" Lirik put his drink on the table and stared forward for 10 solid seconds. He slowly began to talk. "Boba Fett dragged me onto his ship and threw me on a bed in his infirmary. He was tracking someone but I'm not sure who, I was in and out of consciousness the whole time. Sometime later we landed and Fett commissioned a medical droid to facilitate my recovery. It was weeks later before I was able to get out of bed. By this time we were on Mandalore. I began following him on his missions. Watching his every move. He started to train me to fight all over again. I knew how to fight military style but Fett taught me how to fight dirty, how to fight for my life. I grew stronger and soon I also knew all about the bounty hunting business. We parted ways and I started bounty hunting on my own, using my own armor that was patterned after his. The rest of the story you know." He stopped talking, still looking ahead. "Do you still talk to Fett?" she asked. "On occassion. He reaches me when he needs to. I know he keeps tabs on me, " Lirik answered. He looked at Tesla and she knew question time was over. "Let's grab a room and something to eat," he said. Lirik threw some credits on the table and they walked out of the _Oyu'baat_.

The next morning Lirik was gone long before Tesla awoke. He headed back over to the _Oyu'baat_ looking for work, and another Alderrainian Ale. He sat at the same table he had yesterday and put his helmet and blaster in the same place. The bartender brought him an ale. His name was Albric Malfoy and he was also known as the unofficial job poster around the _Oyu'baat_. Liric got straight to the point. "Albric, I'm looking for work, what do you have?" Albric rubbed his chin. "Nothing right now that pays the kind of credits your used to, but I'll keep my ears open." Lirik nodded. "Thanks." As Albric headed back behind the bar a man walked into the_ Oyu'baat_. He was reed thin with black, slicked back hair. If asked, Lirik bet females would consider the man "handsome". He was wearing a military style outfit and a shiny black blaster strapped to his thigh. He stuck out like a sore thumb. The man walked over to Lirik's table. Lirik slowly looked down at his blaster and then back up at the man. "This better be good. I don't like to be bothered," he said. The color left the thin man's face and he began speaking quickly. "I have a message for you. It's from an old friend." Lirik nodded in the direction of the table. The man layed the disk on the table and backed away slowly. When he reached the door he turned around and walked briskly back the way he had entered. As the thin man exited the _Oyu'baat's_ door he ran headlong into Tesla. "Watch where your going pal," she said. "I've seen men get shot for less than that around here." Tesla looked inside and saw Lirik getting up from the table, holstering his blaster, and putting on his helmet. She walked over to him. "A little early for an ale isn't it," she asked. Lirik didn't answer and made for the door. He flipped Albric a cred coin and headed out. Tesla followed him as they walked in silence towards _Shadow I_.

Lirik changed his T-visor setting to heat sensor, scanning the area to make sure nobody was following them to the ship. They had entered _Shadow I_ and were sitting in the cockpit before someone finally spoke. "Well handsome, what's got you all spooked? Darth Vader's been dead for years," Tesla asked. Lirik took the holodisk out of his leg pouch and put it into the holorecorder. "I got this disk from the man you ran into at the _Oyu'baat," _he said_. "_He knew where to find me. There's only one explanation for that." The holorecording began. It projected a two foot 3-D image of Boba Fett. He began to speak...

_Greetings Lirik. I'm not one for pleasantries, so let me get straight to the point. I need a favor. Don't worry, you'll be well compensated for your time. I would have done this job myself if I was available but for reasons I can't tell you, I'm not at liberty to break my current contract. I have gathered intel from a reliable source that tells me there are 5 clone POW's on Yavin 4. POW's from The Battle of Kamino. That means they've been held captive for over 25 years. Needless to say, there aren't many of you clone's still around and I know you never leave a man behind. My informant also tells me that they are being held by some crazy Hutt gangster and his large security team. Apparently this Hutt runs his highly illegal smuggling business out of one of the old abandoned temple settlements. Jodo the Hutt is his name. This sick bastard has some kind of grudge against stormtroopers for ruining his business on Tatooine over 30 years ago. Hutts live forever and have a long memory. I need you to extract those POW's. The Schematic of the settlement is included in the data disk. There is no need to comm me if you accept the mission. I'll be in contact._

The image of Boba Fett faded out of existence.


	3. Chapter 3

Jodo the Hutt was obese even by his races high standards. His arms looked like two enormous nerf meat links tied with a string on the ends where Jodo's beefy hands formed. Because of his tremendous girth he had not moved around on his own in over a decade. Jodo needed a repulsorsled to get from one place to another. His skin was a dull green and he had a purple birthmark that covered a portion of the right side of his face. Jodo's orange eyes were perpetually half closed due to the fact he was usually intoxicated on one stimulant or another. Although his appearance was gluttonous, he kept his business dealings in good order. Jodo's cartel was one of the biggest dealers of glitterstim in the galaxy. The glitterstim was harvested on the planet Kessel and then shipped to Ylesia for processing. After it was processed, it was sent to select distributers throughout the galaxy, including Jodo. Jodo's setup on Yavin 4 had a decent size spaceport in order to conduct their smuggling activities. Most of the smugglers and other assorted criminals hung out in an old abandoned temple pyramid just south of the spaceport that doubled as a bar and Jodo's lair.

It was a particularly hot day on the tropical planet. The slimy sheen of sweat on Jodo was thicker and runnier than usual. His female Twi'lek attendant handed him his hookah and he took a strong tug from it. Jodo began to speak in Huttese, his native language. His deep voice filled the room. "I am bored. I want to be entertained. Bring me the stormtroopers." The five clones were being kept in a rectangular durasteel compound on the westside of the pyramid. The compound was full of prisoners because everytime someone made Jodo angry (which was often) he threw them into the prison. Three Gamorrean guards prodded the clones toward the pyramid with their axes. Once inside they brought them before Jodo. 25 years in a prison camp had really taken it's toll on the troopers. Daily torture had beaten them down emotionally and physically. If they weren't so mentally tough from being in the clone army they probably would have gone mad by now. The clonetrooper's bodies were a shell of their former selves. They were skinny from lack of nurishment, ribs showing on their shirtless bodies. "Ho! Ho! Ho!" the Hutt bellowed. "Good morning gentlebeings. I was thinking today and I was wondering if 25 years of imprisonment was sufficient payment for you ruining my prostitution buisness on Tatooine all those years ago. I've decided it is not. I lost millions of credits because of you clonetroopers, stormtroopers, or whatever they call you now. You will continue to be an example to all who dare defy me. Guards, pick one of the men and bring him closer to me." The Gamorrean guards looked at each other confused. Jodo picked up a blaster from the table by his left arm and shot one of the Gamorrean's dead. "Idiots! That one." He pointed at the trooper on the far left. The guards nervously brought him forward. Jodo turned his attention to the clone. "I will set you free today. All you must do is renounce the clone army and swear your allegiance to me." The emaciated trooper stood in silence, then spit on the Hutt. Jodo's eyes grew wide with anger. "Bring me the Bantha prod!" he bellowed. One of the guards handed him a long metal pole. Jodo pushed a button and an electrical charge became visible on the pole's end. "Hold the trooper by his arms guard," he said. Jodo pressed the pole up against the clone's chest and pushed the button. The man began to convulse and shake and white foam began leaking from the corners of his mouth. A silver protocol droid stationed behind Jodo tapped him on the shoulder. Distracted, Jodo turned off the Bantha prod. The man fell to the ground limp. "What is it droid?" he asked. "May I remind you that if you kill this man with the prod today he will not be available tomorrow for torture," the droid said. "Ho! Ho! Ho!" laughed Jodo. "Very well. You make a good point. Guards! Take these men back to their cells and let them eat today. I'm feeling generous. Drag that dead Gamorrean out of here on your way out."

After receiving the message from Boba Fett there was no need for discussion between Lirik and Tesla concerning whether or not they would accept the mission. As soon as his 3-D image disappeared they loaded up _Shadow I_, did their pre-flight checks, cleared atmosphere, and jumped into hyperspace. Destination, Yavin system...

Once they arrived in the system and made planet fall, they brought _Shadow I_ down about 100 kilometers from Jodo's territory. Lirik walked the two speeder bike's out of Shadow I's cargo hold and grabbed some of the supplies they would need for their journey. Tesla walked towards her bike where Lirik was making a last minute inspection. "Well handsome, I take it you have a plan," she said. Lirik looked up. "We're gonna take these speeder bikes to within a few kilometers of Jodo's playground, then hike the rest of the way on foot," he said. "Once we get there, we're gonna take our time and scout the compound out thoroughly. Then I'll come up with our plan of attack." Lirik turned to look at Tesla. "You know, your not obligated to come with me. It's gonna get pretty tricky in there." Tesla bore her sharp teeth. "Stay here, and risk you getting your pretty face all bashed in?" she smiled. "Not a chance." Lirik nodded and they both mounted their speeder bikes.


End file.
